A Snapchat Romance
by blaerofvalenwood
Summary: Nozomi is kept updated on Nico's relationship with Maki through Snapchat.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This fic was originally only on tumblr, but I got a request to put it here in case I updated it, so here you go. I had to alter a few small things since ff did not like some of the symbols I used for the snaps.

* * *

><p><em>Bzzt, bzzt.<em>

The sudden buzz of Nozomi's phone startled her out of her trance. She'd been in the student council room for hours, Eli was adamant on getting all of their extra work done that day, so she was thankful for the sudden interruption. Nozomi took a quick glance around the room. Eli wasn't around at the moment. This would probably be her only opportunity for a break.

Nozomi quickly grabbed her phone, unlocking it with a quick swipe of her finger. There was a notification from Snapchat.

"It's probably from Nicocchi," Nozomi said to herself. Nico was one of the only girls in the group who used it frequently. If Nico hadn't introduced it to her, she probably wouldn't have used it herself, but she hadn't been able to resist the allure of sending stupid pictures back and forth with Nico during class.

Nozomi tapped on the yellow icon. The snaps were from "Nico-nii". It was like she thought. Nozomi smiled. These were bound to be good. Today was an important day for Nico, after all.

Nozomi held her finger down on the notification. The first image to pop up was of Nico on the roof. Her eyes were wide and her jaw was clenched. The caption on the photo read "_I'm freaking out Nozomi_". The picture disappeared after a few seconds only to be replaced by a second image of Nico clinging to the bars of the fence, her head thrown back dramatically. The caption on the second photo was _"I can't do this!"_.

Nozomi chuckled. Nico was as over dramatic as usual. Nozomi raised her phone to face level. She smiled at the camera, her left hand flashing a thumbs up. Nozomi pressed down on the screen with her thumb. Feeling satisfied with picture, Nozomi tapped out a quick caption. "_You can do it Nicocchi!"_

"Nozomi, what are you doing?" A stern voice came from near the doorway. Nozomi flinched. She looked up, putting on her best smile. Eli stood near the door, her hands on her hips, her lips pursed.

"Just taking a quick break, Elicchi. No big deal." Nozomi flashed a toothy grin. Eli's frowned deepened.

Sighing heavily, Eli moved to her seat next to Nozomi, "We don't have time to fool around right now. There's still a lot of paperwork to get done, so you need to focus." Nozomi snickered at Eli's choice of words, earning a quick jab in side from the blonde girl. Suddenly, the phone in her hand buzzed again.

"Nozomi, no."

"Don't fret so much, Elicchi. This will only take a minute. It's important." Nozomi looked at the screen of her phone. Another notification from Snapchat. Nozomi unlocked her phone, moving quickly to avoid setting off Eli's temper.

There was a single picture this time. It was shoddily taken; Nico's face only appeared in the bottom right portion of the picture. From what Nozomi could tell, Nico was staring at something, her gaze directed towards what Nozomi assumed was the rooftop door. The caption was messily written: "_Oh mmy y go d asd she's heere."_

Nozomi moved to take another picture but stopped abruptly as she felt Eli grip her arm. The blonde girl stared at Nozomi, fire in her normally cool, blue eyes. Nozomi held her gaze, a small smile on her face. Eli would give in eventually. She always did.

After a few short moments, Eli sighed, removing her grip from Nozomi's arm, "I don't understand what could be on that phone that's more important than our work." Eli's lip stuck out in a subtle pout.

"I suppose I could tell you," Nozomi said, a sly grin forming. "But you'll be sworn to an oath of secrecy. I'll have to punish you if you break it."

"Alright..." Eli sounded suspicious. "What's so important that it requires this 'oath of secrecy', which you'll be breaking by telling me, by the way."

Nozomi waved her hand in dismissal, "You're worrying about the small details, Elicchi. What's important here is the big picture and that big picture is that Nicocchi is planning to ask out Maki on the roof today. It's happening right as we speak!"

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah," Nozomi nodded. "Nicocchi's been sending me snapchats about it."

Eli cocked her head to the side, "Snapchats? What are those?"

"I'll show you. Look." Nozomi beckoned Eli to lean in closer. She quickly went over the functionality of the app. Luckily for her, Eli was always one to grasp new concepts easily. As if on cue, Nozomi received a fourth snap from Nico.

"Oh, perfect timing. Let's see what happened!" Nozomi held her finger down on the notification, exaggerating her gesture to make sure Eli understood how it worked.

An image of Nico and Maki popped up. Nico had her arm around Maki's shoulders, who appeared to be desperately attempting to escape the range of the camera. Nico grinned at the camera. Underneath her face was a caption that said: _"She said yes!"_

"Oh, good for her. I'll have to voice my support to them next time we see each other." Eli returned to her work.

Nozomi made a face at Eli's lackluster reaction. "This isn't good. It's great! The cards were completely in her favor today, but she didn't believe me when I told her. Nicocchi's been freaking out all day. I'm glad everything worked out for her."

Eli looked up from the paperwork on the table, a small smile on her face, "Me too. But now that everything's settled, come help me finish this. I want to actually leave before sundown this time."

Nozomi ignored the request, "I'll be expecting a lot more updates from now on. This is exciting! I have to respond!" Nozomi raised her phone in front of her. She could hear Eli's heavy, exasperated sigh.

* * *

><p>"What are you so excited about?"<p>

Nozomi was practically vibrating in her seat. A couple days ago, Nico had come to her for advice on a first date location, which Nozomi had gladly given. Today was the day that that date would take place. The two had left school separately to prepare. Nozomi had been waiting patiently ever since.

"Today's a very important day, Elicchi." Nozomi checked her phone for any possible notification that may have slipped past her. "Nicocchi's taking Maki out on their first date today. She said she'd keep me updated on how it went. They should be meeting up right about now."

"Nico will probably be busy with her date. Do you really think she'll send you something right in the middle of it?" Eli scribbled something down on a piece of paperwork as she spoke, refusing to look away for even the slightest second.

"You don't know Nicocchi like I do. She'll send something." Nozomi answered, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "But you can't honestly say you're not curious. I'm guessing you are."

"You're guessing wrong. It's their business. They can tell me about it in person."

"Boo, killjoy Elicchi. I guess I'll have to look at this snap I just received all by myself." Nozomi smiled as she saw Eli's pencil stop moving. The blonde girl looked up through her eyelashes.

"What's the picture?" Eli asked tentatively.

Nozomi looked down at her phone instinctively, "Whoa, I actually _do _have one!" She had lied to prove a point, but apparently Nico's sense of timing was beyond perfect. Nozomi rushed over to Eli.

The first picture to show up was of Maki, who was glancing down at a menu. A triumphant feeling came over Nozomi. She recognized that menu. Nico had taken her restaurant suggestion after all. The picture was carefully taken, angled in a way that the light hit Maki's features perfectly. It seemed obvious that it was taken with the intent to show off Maki's looks.

After ten seconds, a second picture appeared, this one being much more humorous that the artsy one before. Nico's eyes were closed and her fist was brought up to cover her mouth.

"I don't get it." Eli looked at the picture intently, her brow furrowing.

"Oh, Elicchi..." Nozomi threw Eli a lopsided grin. "She's basically saying that Maki looks really good."

"That's it?"

Another notification popped up, "Wait, I just got another one."

The third picture showed a pouting Nico with a caption that said: _"Maki got mad at me for snapchatting." _Nozomi laughed. It was unlikely that Nico would learn her lesson from this. Nozomi fully expected many pictures of an unsuspecting Maki in the future.

* * *

><p>Nozomi almost dropped her phone. This was the last thing she had expected to get. She wasn't sure how to respond. Normally, she tried to keep her replies light hearted and humorous, but this was way too serious for that. This could potentially be devastating.<p>

_"So...just told Mama I'm dating a girl..." _The picture had been of Nico, her expression worryingly uncomfortable. Nozomi had been finishing up homework when Nico had sent that. She had been caught completely off guard.

Should she even answer? Should she text her? Call her? This wasn't something that could be taken lightly. This was a serious topic that Nozomi hadn't even managed to talk about herself. Both Nico and Maki had risked a lot by making their relationship public at school, but telling a family member was on a whole different level.

Nozomi's phone buzzed again. Nico had sent another snap. Nozomi's heart thumped rapidly as she tapped on it. If this went badly, it was possible that she could look to her cards to find a path through this. Nozomi made a mental note to do a reading later.

A second image of Nico popped up. Nico was grinning at the camera, her hand forming a thumbs up. _"She approves!"_

Nozomi laid her head down on her desk. She'd have to punish Nico for that scare tomorrow.

* * *

><p>The second Nozomi's phone buzzed, she rolled over to reach her phone on the nightstand next to her bed. Today, Maki had invited Nico out somewhere, and if today was like any of their other outings, Nico captured some of the finer moments. Nozomi eagerly unlocked her phone, her fingers moving with fervency.<p>

"Oh? She sent me a video instead." Nozomi thrust her phone towards Eli, who sat on the other end of the bed focusing intently on a book in her hands.

Eli looked up, "Is that weird?" Though her expression seemed to suggest disinterest in this new development, the curious tone of her voice gave her away.

Nozomi shook her head, "No, not really. I just expected a picture. But that doesn't matter. Let's watch it together." Nozomi lifted herself up from her laying position and moved to sit besides Eli. She leaned against the blonde girl's shoulder, her hand holding out the phone in front of them. She clicked play.

"_I'm at the art museum with Maki, and I'm so bored that I can literally feel myself dying inside. I don't know how Maki can stand to be here for this long. We've been here an hour, and I think I may be going crazy."_

The camera shook as Nico talked. She had taken the video while walking around the gallery. Nico rounded a corner and stopped walking. The camera suddenly zoomed in on Maki, who was observing one of the paintings at the other end of the gallery hall.

_"Though, if anything good came out of being here today, it's that looking at all of these so called masterpieces made me realize something. Maki's the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Even more so than myself, and that's saying a lot! We're surrounded by all of this beauty and she still manages to blow it all away... Wow, I can't believe I actually just said that. I'm definitely not sending this."_

The video ended. Nozomi felt a sharp pain in her cheeks. She had been grinning the whole time without even noticing. That slight pain wasn't enough to force the smile off her face. That video had been too good. Each addition that Nico shared with her was better than the last. Nozomi couldn't calm her fast beating heart as excitement flowed throughout her body.

"That was quite the powerful compliment," Eli spoke up. "Don't you think she was exaggerating a bit?"

Nozomi chucked, shaking her head, "You just don't love Maki like Nicocchi does. You'd understand if you could see Maki like she does."

Eli cocked her head to the side, "Do _you_ understand?"

"Yeah, but in a different way. I may not feel those things about Maki, but I understand what a person has to feel to say something like that about another person." Nozomi smiled sweetly, her body pressing against Eli's instinctively. "When someone's that important to you, they're all that matters. Nothing in the world can compare to them. Everything they do touches your heart, and their little quirks become your favorite things. That's what Nicocchi's feeling right now, and I understand."

"Hmm, I don't know if I get it..."

"That's okay, Elicchi."

* * *

><p>"Elicchi, look at what Nicocchi sent!" Nozomi could barely contain her laughter as she walked into the student council room. "I took a screenshot so you could see!" Nozomi sat herself down next to Eli, who immediately turned her attention away from the paperwork on the table.<p>

Nozomi brought up the pictures she had saved on her phone. Eli sputtered at the sight of the first one, her face turning a shade of dark red. Nico had taken a picture of herself and Maki right in the middle of a kiss. The caption read: _"First kiss~~~~~"_ It was a masterfully taken picture considering Nico's preoccupation.

Eli covered her face with her hands, "How did Nico even manage to take that?"

"I don't know. This is why I don't underestimate Nicocchi's snapchatting skills. But that doesn't matter. It gets better."

Nozomi swiped to the left to reveal the next picture. It showed a wide eyed Maki, who Nozomi assumed had come to the realization that Nico had been taking photos in the midst of their first kiss. The next showed an infuriated Maki tugging at the cheeks of a now distressed Nico. Nozomi couldn't stop herself from laughing after seeing the picture for a second time.

Nozomi swiped to the final picture. She could see Maki's retreating form in the distance, her hands balled at her sides. At the bottom left corner of the picture, Nico's arm was extended towards Maki as if she had been calling out to her. The caption showed a small broken heart emoticon_._

"Maki must be really mad about that." Eli sounded worried. "I hope that doesn't damage their relationship."

"It won't," Nozomi smiled. "The fact that Nicocchi goes out of her way to capture these kinds of moments shows how enthusiastic she is about their relationship. Maki loves Nicocchi, so I'm sure deep down she understands and appreciates Nicocchi's intentions. She might be a little stern with Nicocchi for a while, but I'm sure she'll forgive this."

"Wow, they must be really close."

"They are." Nozomi looked at the pictures fondly. She made sure to save every photo that Nico sent. It reminded her that she didn't need to worry about Nico anymore. The threats of loneliness and constant solitude were no longer issues for her twintailed friend. Nozomi couldn't be happier for her.

* * *

><p>Nozomi's phone buzzed for the umpteenth time that night. She had ignored it at first, she wanted to focus on her tarot readings, but this last time had successfully grabbed her attention. Before she could stand to retrieve it, Eli moved to grab it.<p>

"You got another snapchat from Nico. Can I look?" Eli held Nozomi's phone up, ready to open it once Nozomi gave an okay.

"Don't get too excited, Elicchi." Nozomi hid a smile behind a card in her hand.

Eli's face turned red, "I'm not excited! You've been showing me everything she sends, so I might as well look at this one too. That's the only reason!"

"Whatever you say, Elicchi. Let me look too. I mean she sent in to _me_." Nozomi got up and walked to the other end of the table where Eli stood. After taking her phone back from Eli, she unlocked it. Her jaw dropped at the number of notifications she had. Apparently, something big was happening.

The first picture was of Nico dressed in a short, tight fitting black dress. Silver earrings hung from each ear. _"Date night! Maki's treating me!" _The next image showed the outside of an expensive looking restaurant with a caption that said "_Whoa look at this place!" _The building was several stories high.

"Leave it to Maki to pick something extra nice. I'm almost jealous," Eli stared at Nozomi's phone with wide eyes. "How can she afford this?"

"She's rich, remember?"

"Right. How could I forget?"

The next several pictures were of the interior of the restaurant. Each picture had the same caption: "look at this" in all caps. The interior was as glamorous as Nozomi would expect from a luxury restaurant. Each table was decorated with candles and a set of nicely polished silverware. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. On one side, the restaurant gave a view of the city.

"I take back what I said before. I'm definitely jealous. I can't look at this anymore." Eli turned and walked to her normal spot in the room.

"I'm glad Nicocchi gets to experience this." Nozomi smiled at her phone. "It seems like she's having a lot of fun. Oh, wait. I just got another one."

A new notification popped up. Nozomi opened it to see a picture of Nico clinging to one of the walls of the restaurant. _"I want to live here!" _Nozomi laughed boisterously. Nico was definitely having fun. Seeing Nico as happy as she was always brightened Nozomi's day.

* * *

><p>"Why do keep staring at your phone?"<p>

Nozomi felt Eli prod at her side. The blonde girl was clearly annoyed by her behavior, but Nozomi couldn't fight off her jittery feeling of anticipation. This became a regular feeling after receiving so many updates from Nico. Every time Nozomi was made aware that Nico and Maki were spending time together, she was glued to her phone, eager to see whatever new thing happened that day.

"You invited me to come over today, but you keep staring at that thing. I'm curious about them too, but you could at least do something else until you get something from her."

Nozomi gave Eli an apologetic smile, "You're right, Elicchi. I'm sorry."

Eli closed her eyes and sighed before returning Nozomi's smile. "Why is this so important to you anyway? The only other thing I've seen you this attached to is your tarot cards." Nozomi had asked herself this before. The answer came easily.

"Nicocchi's been through a lot. Many years of her life haven't been easy for her. Remember when we used to watch her hand out flyers by herself? That always bothered me. I couldn't help but worry about her. I've never seen Nicocchi smile or laugh as much as she does when she's with Maki. Every picture reminds me of the happiness she's feeling. I think she really deserves it. And I don't have to worry anymore because I know she isn't alone."

Eli pulled Nozomi into a tight hug, "You really are a good person, Nozomi. I'm sure that just by listening and being attentive you're making Nico smile too." Nozomi leaned into Eli's embrace.

Their moment of closeness was interrupted by a loud buzz. Nozomi immediately wiggled out of Eli's arms and reached out for her phone. One new notification. Nozomi grinned. The moment she had been waiting for had arrived. She felt Eli lean over to look at the phone as she tapped on the Snapchat icon.

There was a single image of Nico, her head resting on the shoulder of a sleeping Maki. Her hand was up in a victory sign near her face and her tongue was slightly sticking out. The caption read: _"Caught the bae sleepin"._

Eli shook her head, "Another sneaky picture. When will Nico learn? That's only going to make Maki angry when she finds out."

"Let's answer it!" Nozomi extended her phone out in front of her so Eli would fit in the picture. She dropped her jaw and put her free hand up to her cheek. Nozomi bumped Eli with her shoulder once she noticed the blonde girl giving her a look.

"You're supposed to make a face." Nozomi continued to prod Eli with her shoulder.

"Uh, no thanks..." Eli attempted to scoot away from the camera. Nozomi quickly grabbed Eli's arm.

"Make a face, Elicchi."

"Alright, alright." Eli put a hand up to her mouth, her eyes wide, in her own mock surprised face. Nozomi quickly took the picture before Eli could change her mind.

"Perfect!" Nozomi grinned in approval. "I'll send this right after a quick caption." Nozomi's fingers tapped rapidly on the screen. _"You'll make Maki mad if she finds out!"_ With one more tap of the screen, the picture was sent.

The second Nozomi set her phone back down, she received another one. _'She's not mad!'._ Nico was pressing her lips against Maki's cheek, who was now completely awake. Maki looked at the camera with sleepy eyes, smiling softly, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

"Maki must be getting used to this by now." Nozomi took note of Maki's lack of resistance. That thought filled Nozomi with emotion. It only meant good things.

"Yeah I suppose she is. That's lucky for Nico. She'll be able to get away with it now."

Nozomi buried her face in her hands, "They're so cute, Elicchi. I can't take it. I feel like I'm about to burst with happiness. I don't know what to do with all of this emotion. I feel like I'm watching my little sister grow up."

Eli chuckled, "She's only about a month younger than you, you know. I'm sure Nico would throw a fit if she heard you say that."

"I can't help but feel that way. I mean, just look at them! They're precious!"

"Well, you aren't wrong. They really _are_ cute together." Eli mused. "I'm starting to see the allure of getting these snapchats. It makes me happy to see them so, well, happy."

"I knew you'd get it eventually, Elicchi!" Nozomi looked up at Eli, giving her an approving nod.

"Though I do have kind of a weird question." Eli fidgeted in her seat. "Hypothetically, if you were dating, I don't know, someone like me, would you send your own updates to Nico? I'm just curious, of course, since you seem to like this Snapchat thing so much." Eli looked everywhere but Nozomi's eyes.

Nozomi fought back her urge to laugh, "I don't know, Elicchi. Let's find out."

"Alright. Wait, what?"

Maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to share her own feelings, which had been deeply rooted in her heart for two years, with Nico. They could laugh with each other over the silly snapchats of their girlfriends. It was possible that that, which Nozomi had only daydreamed about, would become a reality. She would just have to wait and see.


	2. Chapter 2

This was exactly the way she wanted things to be. Everything was perfect. Nico laid on the soft mattress of Maki's bed, her arms behind her head, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. It was a nice break from their normally hectic lives of being school idols. Sometimes, all she needed was a moment where she could relax and simply enjoy being in the presence of the person most important to her.

Nico turned her head to look at Maki, who laid beside her, a hand holding a book above her head. Nico felt her cheeks heat up. When they were around other people, Maki usually held a stern or grumpy expression; Nico sometimes wondered if being around a lot of people was hard on her, even if they were friends. But it was in times when they were alone that Nico was able to see a different side of Maki.

The redhead's disposition was significantly more easygoing. Her eyes were soft; they lost the piercing sharpness that usually came with the everyday annoyances of being around constant high energy. Every once in while, the corners of Maki's mouth would turn slightly upward as her eyes scanned the pages. Maki almost never laughed outright at the passages that brought her that happiness, but Nico could tell by that soft smile and the way her eyes lit up that she was truly enjoying herself. That subtle change was enough to set Nico's heart racing.

_I want to kiss her._

Nico jumped slightly as she saw Maki's eyes dart from the pages of the book to meet her own. Nico quickly turned away, her facing burning with embarrassment. Nico covered her face with her hand to hide her colored cheeks. That wasn't the first time she'd been caught staring, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Nico couldn't help but look. She didn't want to miss a single moment like this.

Nico felt Maki shift beside her. She uncovered her face, tilting her head to look back towards her girlfriend. Maki had moved on her side, her head propped up on her left hand. The small book Maki had been reading laid abandoned on surface of the bed. Maki looked at her with that same soft smile.

"What? Why are looking at me?" Nico turned so her body faced Maki.

Maki shrugged, "You were looking at me first, so I figured you wanted me."

Nico gasped dramatically, "Maki, that sounded so suggestive coming from you! I didn't think you were that type!" Nico covered her mouth with her hands, a smile forming behind them.

Maki's eyes widened, "I-I didn't mean it like that! Geez, Nico, it's your fault for jumping to that kind of conclusion..." Maki rolled onto her back, her face as red as her hair.

Nico snickered, "You weren't wrong, though." Nico sat up, and with one swift movement, she moved her body until she was directly above Maki, her arms on either side of Maki's head and her knees resting at the sides of Maki's hips.

"C'mere..." Nico lowered her head until she felt her lips touch Maki's. The younger girl responded instantly, wrapping her arms around Nico, bringing Nico's body closer until it rested on top of her own. Nico melted into Maki's embrace as their lips moved against each others.

_Bzzt._ Nico froze as she heard a familiar buzz. She lifted her head and looked over at Maki's nightstand. She spotted her phone, its screen lit up. This wasn't good. She had been waiting for this all day, Nozomi had some important plan she wanted to share via Snapchat, and now that it was here, Nico knew that it was only a matter of time before unbearable temptation settled in.

"Don't you dare." Nico heard Maki whisper beneath her. Nico looked down and met Maki's icy stare.

Nico chuckled nervously, "Of course not. I wouldn't look now. Not when we're right in the middle of something..." Maki's eyes narrowed, undoubtedly remembering each time Nico had, in fact, interrupted their time together to use Snapchat.

Nico fidgeted uncomfortably. She wanted to look. She wanted to look really badly. But if she grabbed it now, it would just make Maki angry. Her girlfriend had only just started to get used to her constant usage of that app, and so far, Maki's patience towards Snapchat only covered times when she was personally involved.

She would just have to fight the temptation. She would do it for Maki's sake! Nico internally groaned. That snap was going to be good. Nozomi tended to send snaps of whatever shenanigans she got involved in. They were usually pranks, and to say they were funny would be a serious understatement. Nico scrunched her face as her mind went through the endless possibilities of what could be contained in that snap.

Maki sighed heavily, "You're making a weird face. It's making this feel awkward. Just go look at what you want to look at. I'd prefer that to this." Maki pushed Nico back with a gentle shove.

Nico beamed down at Maki, "You're the best!" Nico placed one last quick kiss on Maki's lips before scrambling towards her phone. She sat on the edge of the bed, her phone in hand.

"You're seriously addicted to that thing."

Nico unlocked her phone, "You just don't understand the appeal, Maki. If you downloaded it like I told you to, then I'd send you funny stuff all the time and you'd understand!"

"Why would I want that?" Maki moved behind Nico, glancing over her shoulder at the phone.

"Because I'm hilarious, my snaps are hilarious, and you know it. You're just too shy to admit it. I'll prove it to you with my reply to whatever Nozomi sent me. Make sure you watch carefully."

Nico tapped on the Snapchat icon. She had four notifications, all from "sprtualpwr." She held her finger down on Nozomi's username. The first image to pop up showed Nozomi standing in her bedroom. She was pointing at the light switch on the wall, a sly grin on her face.

The next showed Nozomi as she pointed at Eli, the exact same grin on her face. Eli was seated on Nozomi's bed, her eyes glued to a book. Nico noticed that the shades were pulled down on the window behind the blonde girl. Nico snickered. She knew where this was going.

"Eli's going to kill her," Maki spoke up. The younger girl's head rested on Nico's shoulder as she looked at the pictures.

"Maybe. Let's wait and see."

The third picture was a solid block of black. Nozomi had turned off the lights, and with the shades of the window pulled down, the room was practically pitch black. A caption in the middle of the photo read: "_Oops~ The lights went off!"_

The final picture showed a frantic Eli clinging to an amused Nozomi, the lights in the room now back on. _"Harasho~ So forward Elicchi~" _Nico laughed loudly, her shaking shoulders forcing Maki to move from her position. Eli would definitely be cross about this.

"Isn't harasho Eli's thing?" Maki asked, swinging her legs around the side of the bed to sit beside Nico.

Nico nodded, wiping tears away from the corners of her eyes, "That's why it's even funnier. Man, Nozomi knows how to have a good time."

"Alright..." Maki sounded unconvinced. Nico shook her head. Apparently, Maki was the opposite. It didn't matter. Nico loved her a lot anyway.

"Though I do wonder what's taking them so long to get together." Nico put a thoughtful finger to her chin. "You'd think with all the tension they have going on, it'd have happened sooner. It's obvious that they like each other. Maybe they need a little push. I'm sure Nico nii's special touch can move it along!" Nico looked towards Maki for verbal support.

Maki rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to speak, but stopped abruptly, her brow furrowing.

"Wait, what? They _aren't_ dating?!"

* * *

><p>"Nico, what are we doing here? I thought you wanted to get something to eat."<p>

Nico crouched down behind a bush, her eyes locked on the local ice cream shop. The building was across the street, making a view of the inside near impossible from her position. She needed to get closer. But how? There were no hiding places closer to the shop.

Nico felt Maki prod the back of her head with her finger, "Hey, Nico, answer me."

Nico looked behind her. Maki stood with her arms crossed, her lips pursed in a tight line. The redhead stared down at her, annoyance radiating from her entire body. Nico had invited Maki out to eat, today was their unofficial day for dates, but her initial plan to treat Maki to lunch had been ruined when she had received a very important snap.

Nico looked Maki straight in the eye, "Parfaits."

"What?"

"Parfaits." Nico enunciated the word carefully. "They go out to get parfaits after practice all the time. No one else has ever been invited, but have you seen the looks they give each other when they talk about it? It's intense! That must be when the tension hits its peak! It's the perfect time to strike!"

Maki pinched the bridge of her nose, "Aren't you reading into this a little bit too much? And what do you mean by strike?"

"It's a golden opportunity to push those two together. I can do it! It's happening today!" Nico pumped her fist in excitement, a grin spreading across her face.

Maki sighed in exasperation, "How do you even know they're here? There's tons of places nearby that sell parfaits. They could be in any of them."

Nico chuckled. Maki still didn't understand. Nozomi had sent her a snap earlier that had showed Nozomi and Eli sitting together in a booth, dessert menus opened in front of them. The caption had been: "_Parfaits with Elicchi _o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o_" _Nico recognized the interior of the place where they were located. She had taken Maki there a few months prior.

"I just know, Maki. It's my sharp intuition."

"Right... Why do you care so much about this anyway? Wouldn't it be better to let them sort this out themselves? It might not be a good idea to shove yourself in the middle of it."

Nico paused. Why _was_ this so important? If it were anyone else, she probably would have listened to Maki's suggestion, but for some reason, it felt like she needed to do this. Perhaps it was because Nozomi was always looking out for her. When she struggled with confessing to Maki, Nozomi was the one who gave her a push in the right direction. If it wasn't for her, she never would have done it.

And now, Nozomi needed a push of her own. The purple haired girl was brave, kind, and always willing to help someone in need no matter the cost, but when it came to herself, she was much less giving. Despite Nozomi's confidence, there were things that even she couldn't talk about.

Nozomi's feelings for Eli were obvious. If Nozomi was truly able to talk about them without fearing some kind of repercussion, then it would have happened a long time ago. Nico was sure of that. Even the bravest people felt fear when it came to something dear to their heart. Nozomi had helped her, and now she'd return the favor. Eli made Nozomi happy, and the purple haired girl deserved happiness just as much as she did.

"It's just...something I really need to do. Okay?" Nico fixed her gaze on the ice cream shop, a new and powerful determination settling within her.

"Okay." Maki kneeled down beside Nico, making sure her body was properly hidden behind the row of bushes. "This is obviously important to you, so I'll help however I can. What do I need to do?"

Nico turn her head to look at Maki, her eyes wide, "Maki..." The younger girl smiled back at her with the same smile that sent Nico's heart rate soaring. Nico stared at Maki, still shocked by her cooperativeness, until Maki gestured towards the ice cream shop, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

Nico shook her head, "Right. So I think the best way to approach this is-" Nico cut off as she felt her phone buzz in her jacket pocket. She quickly pulled it out and was surprised to see two new notifications from Snapchat. Nico gripped her phone tightly as she tapped on the icon.

The first picture to pop up showed Eli, who was eagerly digging into a parfait in front of her. Small bits of ice cream stuck to her cheeks. "_Elicchi's so excited! Cute!" _Nico covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing. This was a side of Eli she never knew existed. Before this, she never could have imagined the coolheaded, mature Eli eating ice cream like a five year old child.

Nico heard soft snickering come from the girl beside her. Maki had turned her head in the other direction, successfully muffling her laughter, but her shaking shoulders gave it away. Nico threw her a wide grin before turning her attention towards the second picture.

"_Elicchi's so cute _(ღ˘v˘ღ)". Eli was doubled over, one hand gripping her forehead, the other supporting her weight against the table. Nico couldn't hold back any longer. Nico fell backwards into a sitting position on the ground, laughing loudly, earning strange looks from others nearby whose attention had already been drawn to the two girls hiding in the bushes.

"Eli ate so fast that she got a killer brain freeze..." Nico struggled to speak through her laughter. "Oh man, I wish I had saved those. They would have been great blackmail material in case I ever needed it. Nozomi really knows how to pick them."

After her laughter subsided, Nico smiled at the ice cream shop across the street. Maki was right. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to disrupt them. Nozomi was happy right now, and that's all that mattered. The more complicated stuff could come later, when Nozomi was ready. Nico didn't need to force it. She was confident that it would happen naturally.

Nico's phone buzzed again. Two more notifications. Nico picked herself up off the ground before turning her attention to her phone. The first picture had no caption, and it was slightly blurry. Nico could make out Nozomi at the bottom right corner of the picture. The older girl was laughing as Eli was reaching across the table, grabbing Nozomi's arm to, presumably, take the phone away from her.

The second picture showed a grumpy Eli standing next to Nozomi, who was sticking her tongue out at the camera. _"We got kicked out for being too rowdy"._ Nico's heart dropped. She recognized the background in the picture. They definitely weren't by the shop anymore. Nico slowly turned her head to the left, her gaze meeting two very familiar pairs of eyes.

* * *

><p>Nico hummed quietly as she walked down the crowded sidewalk of the shopping district, her girlfriend at her side. Their schedule had been packed lately, they were all trying their hardest to prepare for their upcoming live show, so Eli had given them the day off from practice. Nico took this opportunity to spend extra time with Maki since they hadn't had much alone time lately.<p>

Out of the corner of her eye, Nico noticed Maki increase her pace until she was a few steps in front of her. Nico frowned, but before she could protest, Maki turned around and stopped right in front of her. The younger girl held her hand out.

Nico stared at Maki's outreached hand, "Do I owe you money or something?"

"N-No! Just take it!" Maki looked away, a blush spreading across her cheeks. Nico stared until realization came over her.

Nico reeled backwards, "Ahh you've never let me hold your hand in public! What's the catch?"

"There's no catch..." Maki grumbled, still not willing to make eye contact. "I was just thinking about the day we staked out that ice cream shop. It reminded me of how much you want to help Nozomi. That made me want to hold your hand for some reason. I don't know! Just take it and stop asking me weird questions!" Maki shoved her hand forcefully towards Nico.

Nico pulled her phone out of her pocket, "Wait, I have to tell Nozomi about this! It's a huge thing, and I know she'll want to see it!" Nico grabbed Maki's hand.

Maki sighed, "Alright, alright. Just hurry up. This is embarrassing enough already."

Nico moved to take a picture of their clasped hands but stopped as she noticed the notification symbol at the bottom left corner of the screen. Nico cocked her head. She hadn't felt her phone buzz at all. She tapped on the small symbol and held her finger over Nozomi's username. Nico crinkled her nose at the sight of the image.

"What's with that face?"

Nico shoved her phone towards Maki, "Nozomi has no shame."

In the picture, Nozomi stood in front of an offertory box, clad in her white haori and red hakama, the same ones she wore whenever she worked at the shrine. Her eyes were closed and her hands were pressed together. The caption read: _"Praying for the gay". _

"Geez, Nozomi." Maki's lips twitched, fighting down a smile. "I feel bad for the poor person she asked to take that. They must have been really confused. Oh, wait. I think you just got another one?" Maki handed the phone back to Nico.

Maki was right. The filled square next to Nozomi's username indicated another new picture. Nico opened it, a grinning as she looked at Nozomi's continuation.

Nozomi had taken a picture of Eli, who appeared to be approaching the purple haired girl, her hand up in a small wave, a big smile on her face. "_Prayer answered _\( 'з')/".

"She really likes Eli a lot, huh?" Maki leaned forward to look at Nico's phone.

Nico gave Maki an incredulous look, "Well, duh. That part's pretty obvious. The difficult part is getting Nozomi to admit it seriously. She's always joking about these kinds of things. If she ever confessed, I wouldn't be surprised if Eli took it as a joke."

Maki turned and began walking in the opposite direction, her grasp on Nico's hand pulling Nico along, "Well, I suppose we'll have to figure out how to get around that. Come on. We can talk about it as we walk around."

"Okay..." Nico's mind shut off as she felt Maki interlace her fingers with her own.

* * *

><p>Nico let out a loud, frustrated groan. Her phone had buzzed, and it was all the way across the room. Normally, she'd ask Maki to get it for her, which, more often than not, resulted in a small argument about Nico's laziness, but Maki wasn't around, leaving Nico to lounge alone in her bedroom this lazy Sunday afternoon.<p>

Nico glared at her phone across the room. Why had she left it there in the first place? She always carried it around in case she received important notifications. Nico knew she had to get it. Whatever made her phone buzz was probably from Nozomi. She hadn't snapchatted with the older girl much that past week, something had seemingly been troubling Nozomi, so this was probably important.

Nico whined as she slid off her bed, her body hitting the floor like a rag doll. Refusing to pick her body completely off the floor, Nico inched her way across the ground towards the dresser her phone sat on. Once she reached her destination, she glared at the dresser that towered above her. It was time for the climb.

Nico grimaced as she pulled herself up by the handles of the dresser drawers. She could never let Maki she her like this, or she'd get the scolding of a lifetime. Nico's arm shot upward as she neared the top. Grabbing her phone with a quick swipe, she fell back towards the ground. Nico writhed in pain as she landed on her back.

Nico laid there for a few seconds before moving to unlock her phone. She had been right. The notifications were from Nozomi. Nico tapped on the screen. The first picture to show up was of Nozomi, who sat at the desk in her house, her tarot cards spread across the face of the desk. The caption said: _"The cards foresee many things today."_

Nico squinted at the picture. She didn't really understand the idea behind tarot cards, so she wasn't sure what to expect. It didn't seem bad, just very Nozomi-ish. Nico waited patiently as the seconds ticked away.

The second picture was of a sleeping Eli, who laid on Nozomi's bed, her mouth hanging open and an open textbook cradled in her arms. _"Like Elicchi's cuteness :)"_

Nico laid her arms out to the side, her phone sliding out of her weak grip and onto the floor. She stared at the ceiling, her tired mind trying to from a coherent thought.

"Was that worth the effort?" Nico mumbled out loud. She glanced at her discarded phone and slowly nodded her head. It was. At least nothing was wrong. Nozomi seemed as happy as ever. But she couldn't be completely sure. Now was as good a time as any to bait Nozomi a little.

Nico grabbed her phone and raised it in front of her face. She stuck her tongue out and winked as she hit the capture button. She tapped out a quick caption: "_Love struck nerd". _Now it was time to wait. Nozomi's reply would tell a lot.

The reply came faster than she thought it would. Nico opened her phone. The picture that showed up was of Nozomi who was hiding a smile behind her hand. "_Are you on the floor?"_ Nico sighed. She had avoided the topic. Nozomi was relatively comfortable with expressing affection until it was pointed out by someone else. Nico supposed that was a normal reaction.

Though something felt funny. Nico couldn't quite tell what it was, but it bothered her. She rarely worried about Nozomi, the older girl gave off an air of confidence and competence, but it felt different this time. Something was off, and Nico was determined to figure out what it was.

* * *

><p>Nico tapped her pencil against the table of the Idol Research clubroom. She stared out the window, her eyes watching numerous students pass by. She had received a snap a short while ago, but she hadn't been sure how to answer it. Her inability to help Nozomi was grating. The older girl's wisdom allowed her give sound advice, but Nico didn't share that trait, no matter how much she wished she did.<p>

Nico looked down at the picture album in her phone where she had saved many snaps that Nozomi had sent her, including the one from today. Looking at it more than once might give her some ideas, or so she had thought. Each time she looked at it, she was reminded of her incompetence.

_"Do you think she knows at all?" _ A picture of Eli sitting in their classroom, her eyes glued to a notebook on the desk in front of her, was the most recent snap Nozomi had sent. Eli was smart, but sometimes these things didn't get across to her. It didn't help that most of Nozomi's affection was given in a seemingly joking manner.

That was the difference between her and Nozomi. It had taken her ages to admit to having feelings for Maki and even longer to verbalize them. Nozomi, on the other hand, was incredibly open about her affection to the point that it became hard to distinguish between jokes and her real feelings. Perhaps there were times when those two intertwined.

It would be preferable if Nozomi just confessed, though that was easier said than done. Nico knew that all too well. But if she had to guess, Eli returned those feelings. If she didn't, Nico highly doubted that Nozomi's affection would have been as accepted as it was, regardless if it was intended as a joke or not.

"Why do you look so down?"

Nico jumped at the sound of Maki's voice. Being deep in thought, she hadn't heard the younger girl come in. She pulled out the chair next to her, inviting Maki to sit.

"I got another snap from Nozomi."

"Why is that upsetting?" Maki sat down in the chair next to Nico.

"I don't know how to answer it." Nico pushed her phone towards Maki, making sure the image was pulled up on the screen. Nico watched as Maki stared at the image intently.

"Hmm," Maki hummed softly. "It seems like she might be nervous. I wouldn't be surprised if she's thinking about Eli in a more serious manner right now. Nozomi doesn't seem the type to send something like this unless she's really bothered by something."

Nico nodded, "Yeah that's what I figured. I was thinking of just flat out telling her to confess, but I'm not sure how much that would help."

"Didn't she do something similar for you? She told me that you came to her for advice on confessing, and that she helped push you in the right direction. Do you think you would have been able to do it without her support?"

Nico rested her head on her hand, leaning on her elbow for support. That was true. The day Nico had planned to confess to Maki had been hectic, to put it lightly. She had almost flaked out multiple times, but each time she allowed any doubt to resurface within her, Nozomi was there to push it back down.

If it weren't for Nozomi, she never would have gone through with it. She never would have learned that Maki reciprocated her feelings, and there was a possibility that they never would have gotten together before she graduated. The thought made Nico's heart heavy. She didn't want that to happen to Nozomi.

"Maybe it's time for Nico nii's 'special touch'". Maki smiled as she slid the phone back towards Nico.

Nico nodded. Maybe it was. Nico picked up her phone, opened the app, and held it front of her. She stared at herself in the camera. She wasn't sure if humor was the right way to approach this. She settled for just smiling at the camera. Once the picture was taken, Nico typed out a caption. "_Maybe you should let her know". _

Nico took a deep breath as she laid her phone back down on the table. She was feeling surprisingly jittery considering that this had nothing to do with her. Nico wondered if Nozomi had felt the same on the day she confessed to Maki. Nico tapped her fingers against the surface of the table as she waited, hoping to let out some of the anticipation that was building up inside her.

Nico practically jumped from her seat as her phone buzzed for a second time that day. Nico grabbed it quickly, her heart thumping as she unlocked it. Nozomi had sent a video this time. Nico beckoned Maki to lean in closer.

The camera was flipped to show Nozomi's face. It appeared like she was walking down one of the hallways at school. "_Elicchi said she had something important to tell me in the student council room, but she told me to go ahead and wait for her there while she_ _finished up something in the classroom. My heart's racing for some reason. It's probably because of the snap you sent me, Nicocchi." _

Nozomi smiled at the camera. Nico heard the sound of a door being slid open. Nozomi must have reached her destination.

_"Whatever Elicchi has to say is probably about student council work, so I shouldn't worry. Though, maybe you're right. Now could be the perfect time. Though, I'll need to consult my cards before making a decision like that." _Nozomi grinned at the camera and threw her hand up in a victory sign. The video stopped there.

"Whoa, it sounds like she might actually do it." Maki leaned back in her chair. "I think your support meant a lot."

Maki's words sparked something in Nico's mind. She quickly opened Snapchat and put her phone in front of her. Nico remembered exactly what had given her strength on the rooftop the day of her confession. Nico smiled at the camera, forming her free hand into a thumbs up. "_You can do it Nozomi!" _

Nico sighed and leaned back. She kept her phone in her hand, fully expecting a some kind of reply to come soon. She hoped that picture would help. Nozomi had sent something similar before, and that simple picture had worked wonders. Nico wrapped her arms around herself. The last time Nico remembered feeling this nervous was when she was waiting for test results. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Maki extend her hand towards her. Nico grabbed it, giving Maki a grateful smile.

As the minutes passed by, Nico felt her jitteriness increase, as well as her grip on Maki's hand. Nico let go of Maki's hand once she saw the younger girl's pained expression. Maki pulled her hand back, rubbing her now sore fingers.

_Bzzt._ Nico jumped at the sound of her phone. Without even checking if the notification was from Snapchat, Nico opened the app. Luckily for her, it was. Nico apprehensively held her finger down on the notification. There were only two ways this would go: amazing or horrible.

Almost immediately, Nico's tense expression faded, and she broke into a smile. "Oh my god."

The picture showed Eli, who had apparently taken Nozomi's phone, standing in the student council room, a triumphant smile on her face. Her body only appeared in the leftmost portion of the picture. Over Eli's shoulder, Nico could see Nozomi, who was sitting at the table, her head laid face down on its surface. The caption read: _"Surprise confession! Success!" _

"Oh my god," Nico repeated, laughing. "I haven't given Eli the credit she deserves. Apparently, she's got game."

Maki stared at the phone, her jaw dropped. "Wow, Eli's really sneaky."

Nico nodded, "I'm sure Nozomi's beyond shocked. But how great is this? It may not have happened the way Nozomi expected, but I'm sure she's happy with the result." Maki voiced her agreement.

Eli really was sneaky. The blonde girl had given no indication that she had something like this planned out. Nico thought Eli's feelings towards Nozomi were just as obvious, but she never expected her to be the initiator. Eli always seemed like the type who was too busy to give these sorts of things much thought.

Suddenly, the phone in Nico's hand buzzed again. Another one? Nico unlocked her phone. The picture that popped up felt vaguely familiar. Nozomi had her lips pressed to Eli's cheek as the blonde girl smiled at the camera. A caption below said: _"Muse couple #2" _

Nico stood up, her body shaking in excitement. She grabbed Maki's hand and pulled her towards the door. "This calls for a double date! Let's do it now!"

"What? Already? Nico, wait!"

Nico ignored Maki's protests as she dragged the younger girl towards the student council room, a wide grin on her face.

* * *

><p>AN: Almost all of the emoticons showed up correctly and I'm still shocked. But anyway, this is the last part to this fic, so I hoped you enjoyed it. And thanks for reading!


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